Why teachers are worried about semester system in West Bengal primary schools

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) is set to implement a semester system for primary classes starting January 2, 2025, sparking concerns among educators about its feasibility and impact on young learners.

The new system, announced by WBBPE president Gautam Paul recently, will affect students from Classes 1 to 5, which means that children as young as six will study a syllabus designed for six months before moving on to the next semester.

Experts in the state have pointed out that the system requires more teachers than it has to manage multiple rounds of exams and to meet curriculum requirements in a much shorter period of time.

WB Primary Education: Aligning with NEP, ABC

The move follows a similar pattern introduced for higher secondary classes – Classes 11 and 12 – in March 2024, where the academic year is divided into two semesters, January to June and July to December. The first semester will evaluate students based on class performance, attendance, projects, and behaviour, while the second semester will include written examinations with board-prepared question papers.

While the current syllabus will remain unchanged for now, the government has plans to revise it by 2026. The semester system is part of a broader effort to align primary education with structured and continuous assessment methods, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020's Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) system.

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West Bengal Schools: Teacher shortage, concerns

Teachers across the state highlight implementation challenges. Many schools in the state face acute teacher shortages with some relying on a single teacher to manage multiple classes and administrative duties.

Bibhash Das*, headmaster of a government school in Kolkata, expressed concerns about the challenges schools may face with the new system. "Many schools are already short of teachers. This puts a lot of pressure on teachers and makes it harder to implement the semester system," he said.

Das also pointed out that there are not enough regular inspections in schools. "Academic supervision is weak. There is no regular check to ensure that teachers are getting the support they need and that quality education is being provided. These issues need to be fixed before we can bring in such changes," he added.

Teachers believe that without sufficient staff, the semester system will only add to the challenges they already face in providing quality education to students. "In some schools, there are simply no teachers available for certain subjects, and some schools are manned by only one teacher," said Das.

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West Bengal school semesters: ‘No clear instructions’

Most of the teachers are still unclear about how the semester system will be implemented. While some have heard about it, there are no clear instructions.

Many teachers are waiting for guidance from either the government or their head teachers. Without clear instructions, they are uncertain about how to implement the semester system effectively in their classrooms.

“We will do whatever the government asks us to do. They prepare the policy, and we implement it. I don’t have anything else to say,” said a headmaster of a government school in Malda, who wished to remain anonymous.

Kakoli Ghosh Mondal, a teacher at Kamarhati Higher Secondary School, said, “When we were students, we had half-yearly and annual exams. Now it’s the same thing divided into two semesters. But we don’t know much yet. Our headmaster will guide us once he gets the government notification. For now, nothing is clear.”

Academic Bank of Credits: Why the semesters

The introduction of the semester system is particularly significant as it aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of modernising education, laying the groundwork for the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). A centralised digital credit repository, it aims to maintain individual academic records linked to unique account numbers, allowing students to pursue a continuous learning path according to their preferences.

This system would track all educational credits earned by students from primary education onward, ensuring that credits remain intact even if students temporarily halt their studies.

“ABC is a great initiative for higher education, but it requires strong foundational systems at the primary level. Without addressing basic issues like teacher shortages, training, and inspections, this vision might falter,” Das concluded.